How to Turn Jeans into Shorts
Choose a pair of jeans to turn into shorts., Pre-shrink the jeans., Decide what length you want the shorts to be.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Choose a pair of jeans to turn into shorts.
The best jeans to choose will fit you comfortably in the hips, butt and thighs.
Remember that baggy jeans will become baggy shorts, and tight jeans will be tight shorts.
Jeans made with stretchy material are not the best candidates to turn into shorts.
They usually have pieces of rubber or plastic woven in with the fabric, and those won't look good dangling from the bottom of the shorts.
You can also turn khaki fabrics into shorts.
Just take a look at the tag and make sure they are 100 percent cotton, or close to it. -
Step 2: Pre-shrink the jeans.
If you're converting a pair of jeans you've barely worn, or that have never been washed, run them through the washer and dryer before proceeding to cut them off.
This will pre-shrink the jeans so they won't end up shorter than you want them to be. , Depending on how loose or tight your jeans are and what shape they are in, choose from the following lengths:
Capris are cut off right at the calf, and look great with heels or sandals.
Capris are only a little shorter than regular pants, so this is a good choice if you don't want to make a drastic alteration.
Tight fitting or "skinny" jeans look better as capris than loose-fitting jeans.
You want the bottoms of the capris to hug your calves, rather than swim around them.
Bermudas hit at or right above the knee.
Depending on the type of jeans you're converting, bermudas can be super comfy or incredibly stylish.
If you're looking for a roomy, comfortable pair of shorts you can live in all summer, convert a pair of loose-fitting jeans to bermudas.
Tight-fitting jeans that hug the thighs and knees look great as bermudas, especially paired with a flowy top.
Classic shorts hit 3–5 inches (7.6–12.7 cm) above the knee.
This is a versatile style that can be dressed up or down.
Both loose and tight-fitting jeans are great candidates for classic shorts.
Classic shorts are a good length to choose if you're working with jeans that have holes or other damage below the knees.
Short shorts have a hemline of about 2–3 inches (5.1–7.6 cm).
These are perfect for the beach, especially paired with a cute bikini top.
Tighter jeans look better converted into short shorts.
With loose jeans you risk having too much upper thigh exposure.
Be careful when choosing this option.
If you want shorter shorts, you can always take a few more inches off, but you can't go back once you cut off too much. -
Step 3: Decide what length you want the shorts to be.
Detailed Guide
The best jeans to choose will fit you comfortably in the hips, butt and thighs.
Remember that baggy jeans will become baggy shorts, and tight jeans will be tight shorts.
Jeans made with stretchy material are not the best candidates to turn into shorts.
They usually have pieces of rubber or plastic woven in with the fabric, and those won't look good dangling from the bottom of the shorts.
You can also turn khaki fabrics into shorts.
Just take a look at the tag and make sure they are 100 percent cotton, or close to it.
If you're converting a pair of jeans you've barely worn, or that have never been washed, run them through the washer and dryer before proceeding to cut them off.
This will pre-shrink the jeans so they won't end up shorter than you want them to be. , Depending on how loose or tight your jeans are and what shape they are in, choose from the following lengths:
Capris are cut off right at the calf, and look great with heels or sandals.
Capris are only a little shorter than regular pants, so this is a good choice if you don't want to make a drastic alteration.
Tight fitting or "skinny" jeans look better as capris than loose-fitting jeans.
You want the bottoms of the capris to hug your calves, rather than swim around them.
Bermudas hit at or right above the knee.
Depending on the type of jeans you're converting, bermudas can be super comfy or incredibly stylish.
If you're looking for a roomy, comfortable pair of shorts you can live in all summer, convert a pair of loose-fitting jeans to bermudas.
Tight-fitting jeans that hug the thighs and knees look great as bermudas, especially paired with a flowy top.
Classic shorts hit 3–5 inches (7.6–12.7 cm) above the knee.
This is a versatile style that can be dressed up or down.
Both loose and tight-fitting jeans are great candidates for classic shorts.
Classic shorts are a good length to choose if you're working with jeans that have holes or other damage below the knees.
Short shorts have a hemline of about 2–3 inches (5.1–7.6 cm).
These are perfect for the beach, especially paired with a cute bikini top.
Tighter jeans look better converted into short shorts.
With loose jeans you risk having too much upper thigh exposure.
Be careful when choosing this option.
If you want shorter shorts, you can always take a few more inches off, but you can't go back once you cut off too much.
About the Author
Edward West
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow cooking tutorials.
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